This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may receive a commission on qualifying purchases made through these links. Please visit my Disclaimer & Disclosure page for more information.
I am always looking for easy projects to improve our space on a budget. Some of the recent updates may not sound exciting, but they really elevated the look and feel of our home. Paint, lighting and hardware are three ways you can make small but impactful updates to your home. You can also do a little at a time, which makes it even more affordable.
Below is a before and after of our hallway from the garage. We installed new door knobs and hinges, replaced the lights in our recessed lighting and painted the garage door. You can see the impact these three little changes can have on a space.
Painting Doors
I am obviously partial to black doors, but you can choose any color when painting interior doors. I have seen people choose a neutral grey, which I also love. Painting our garage door gave this hallway some depth, and switching out the dated gold door knobs created a more modern look. Now, just picture shoes and backpacks everywhere for the real after shot.
Here is another example with our front door. The before picture is before we moved in, but you can see how the door didn’t really stand out. Painting it black makes the door feel like the centerpiece of the entryway.
I used my usual furniture paint in Coal Black on the front door and french doors. You can read about this paint HERE. For the garage door, I used Valspar Door & Trim paint because this door gets a lot of wear and tear. The color is Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black, which is a great classic black that matches the Coal Black on the other doors. Note: I did end up putting a coat of Fusion Mineral Paint on top to create a matte finish. Door and trim paint has a semi-gloss finish, so if you want a matte finish use an exterior paint instead.
Hardware Updates
Switching out doorknobs is also a great way to update a space. I didn’t want to spend a fortune and found a great deal on these nickel door knobs from Amazon. You can pick the finish and type of door knob (privacy, passage, dead bolt, key lock). This hallway is the only place we have door knobs on the main floor, so I purchased enough for all the doors and will eventually replace the ones upstairs and in the basement. Some other great doorknob options are linked below.
Don’t forget to replace the hinges as well if your new doorknobs are a different color. We purchased this pack of 18 satin nickel hinges, which was enough for all six of our doors. Make sure to measure your hinges for the correct size.
Install Tip: To change out the hinges without taking off the door, start with the middle hinge first. Remove and replace the middle hinge, and then you can move to the other two while the door is still hanging.
Lighting
We have a lot of recessed lighting in our home. The hallway and kitchen were my main focus for this update. I initially wanted to switch out the light bulbs because they had a yellowish glow which made my white walls look…less white. In the kitchen the lights also gave my newly painted white cabinets a yellow tone which made them look dingy.
While searching for new bulbs, I came across these retrofit lights, which you plug into your existing can lights. They are LED, but you can adjust the tone to get a natural bright white light. The adjustment allows you to have less of the LED look without the yellow. The attachment also covers the opening, creating a clean and modern look. Added bonus: no more changing light bulbs!
These three updates added the finishing touches to our main floor renovations. I love that we can add additional paint, knobs and lighting to the basement and upstairs as we budget for those areas. The examples I shared can be tailored to anyone’s style and will make your house feel more custom.
Please feel free to comment below if you have any ideas for more small updates with a big impact!
